Man with suspected swine flu admitted to Hyderabad hospital

Hyderabad, May 3 (IANS) The saliva and blood samples of a 28-year-old man found with symptoms of swine flu after he arrived here from the US have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) at New Delhi, officials said. He has been admitted to a hospital here. The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, arrived here Saturday from San Francisco via Dubai. He was admitted to the Government General and Chest Hospital, the nodal centre to deal with flu cases.

The software professional was quarantined at the hospital immediately after he arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, hospital sources said.

The second suspected case in less than a week was reported even as the first suspected case tested negative for influenza A (H1N1), better known as swine flu. Earlier, a 26-year-old man, who had landed at the airport from Texas Tuesday, was also found with suspected symptoms of swine flu.

The man from Texas refused to get himself admitted to hospital but authorities had advised him not to venture out of the house and had sent his samples to NICD.

In the latest case, the techie from San Francisco decided to get himself checked soon after landing at the airport here Saturday.

“He had a running nose for three days and when he heard that this is also one of the symptoms, he volunteered to undergo a check-up at the airport,” said K. Subhakar of the H1N1 influenza nodal centre at the Chest Hospital.

The team of doctors at the airport advised him to get admitted to hospital and he agreed.

Doctors said though his vital signs were normal, he was kept in isolation and would remain so till the results of tests are available. His family members are also not being allowed to meet him.

Officials said another passenger, who arrived at Hyderabad airport from Mexico via New Delhi Saturday, met the doctors at the hospital out of his own concern though he had no visible symptoms. He was counselled and allowed to go home.

Authorities, meanwhile, continue to screen air passengers arriving here from international destinations, especially from swine flu affected countries. A team of doctors deployed at the airport screened about 2,500 such passengers who arrived by 15 flights Saturday.